Trade-Off
by ThatOneCrazy
Summary: Lena Luthor finds Kara bloody and in pain after her mother, Lillian, kidnappes and tortured her. What happens when Lena offers to trade places with Kara?
1. Chapter One

Author's Note: Hi. I hope you're having a nice day, and if not I hope this story makes it better. It is about Supergirl being kidnapped by Lillian Luthor, and when Lena sees the terrible torture she has been put through, she offers to trade places with Supergirl. Enjoy!

Lena Luthor stepped away from her extremely short break on the balcony, sighing. She was beyond the point of frustration with a new device she was attempting, and currently failing, to build. Then again, maybe she should have known better than to create a better, nanotech suit for Supergirl.

Kara Danvers thought she hid her secret well, when in reality, she was terrible at keeping the small fact that she was Supergirl from Lena. Lena was hurt at first, but then she thought about the ramifications of Kara's decision and realized Kara was probably just tryung to protect her friend.

Then, after the hurt, came the realization that being Supergirl put Kara in a tremendous amount of danger. Images had started to flash through Lena's brilliant mind. Terrible images. Kara being hurt. Kara in pain. Kara ... dying. Hence the need to create a new suit.

The suit would be made out of nanites, incredibly small and able to compress much like the Flash's suit. The nanites would be hooked up to an AI, which whould read Kara's brainwaves and then direct the nanites what to do from there. All Kara had to do was was think a word and the nanites would create whatever she needed, wheter it be a mask, gloves, or different colors, effectively being camouflage and armour. The suit would also store kinetic energy when Kara was hit, so impacts wouldn't be as harmful. The AI would also provide an HUD (Heads Up Display) for Kara to communicate more efficiently with the DEO.

So far Lena was having trouble creating an AI program strong enough to read Supergirl's brainwaves to the specificity she needed, and her brain gelt like it was dying. She decided to do what everyone did when they were stressed and overworked: Call a friend.

"Kara! Thanks for meeting me at Noonan's at such a late notice," spoke Lena. She stood up and hugged Kara as soon as she reached their usual table.

"Of course! How could I pass up good food and company?" Kara exclaimed as she sat down.

"Well, I personally try to give up neither when possible, so I wouldn't know," joked Lena.

They bantered back and forth for a little while, then ordered their drinks and food. When Lena's salad and Kara's large pizza arrived, Lena decided to ask her friend ehat she thought about the idea of creating a suit for Supergirl. She knew that Kara would have some good ideas on the AI situation, and she liked to always remind Kara that Lena was friends with both of her amazing personalities, so hopefully she wouldn't always feel a need to conceal her secret from Lena.

"So, Kara," started Lena. Kara's head snapped up from inhaling her pizza. "I'm trying to create a new suit for Supergirl, and I was having some trouble. Mind if I show you and ask for some help?"

Kara had started to turn red at the mention of her alter-ego. "Su-sure. I would love to help. Anything for you and Supergirl!" she stuttered.

"Mmhmm. Thanks," replied Lena, Kara's hesitation not lost on her.

Kara's phone rang, startling both of the women. Kara dug through her purse to find it.

"Ah, sorry, Lena. This is CatCo, I have to get back to work. This has been very fun, though. If you still want me to, after work at around five o'clock I can stop by your office and check out the suit," offered Kara.

"That sounds lovely, Kara," smiled Lena as she laid down her credit card on the table.

Kara grabbed her bag, hugged Lena, and started to walk out. She turned around, last-minute, and called to Lena, "One of these days, Lena, you're going to let me pay!"

Lena smiled and laughed at her friend, then sighed as soon as she was out the door.

It was ten at night and Kara still hadn't showed up at L-Corp. Lena was getting worried now. She had tried calling Kara twice, texted her multiple times, and had, as a last resort, even called James. James had said that Kara had been excited to leave; she kept talking about going home to put her work stuff away to go see Lena.

 _Well, at least that means she made it to her loft. Maybe she forgot? That would be so unlike Kara, though._ Lena resolved to go check on Kara at her loft, just in case her feeling of unease checked out.

She picked up her cell phone to make one last call. "Jesse? Yes, I'm done for the night. Can you call the car? I need to check on a friend."

The car came, and Lena walked out of her building with a false sense of confidence, hoping the shiver down her spine was due to the slight wind.

As soon as the driver opened her door, she dropped all pretenses about being the cool, calm, collected CEO that she usually was, and ran, despite her heels, into the complex. She reached Kara's door. Her heart stopped. It was slightly ajar, and the home was dark. Lena gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. She felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw the broken window. Then, for the first time in months, Lena Luthor felt a tear trickle down her face as she spotted blood and, impossibly, kryptonite, on Kara'd carpeting. She knelt, praying her eyes were misleading her. "Kara?" she whispered into a dark, empty abyss. No answer. Kara was gone and injured.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello, I hope you are having a nice day and that this made you smile. I'm not quite sure how to add a second chapter correctly, as this is my first attempt at publishing a story, and I apologize if this is incorrect.** **I'm also sorry for any spelling errors, because my auto-correct isn't working, and I am not that great at typing on my phone. Regardless, e** **njoy!**

Chapter 2

When Kara awoke, she didn't know what time it was, or how much time had passed since she was taken, or what exactly was going on. Even though she was incredibly powerful, she felt truly powerless.

She looked around to try to gauge where she was and why she felt so bad, but she only managed to see a dark surrounding that looked to be a warehouse before her head started to spin. She took a breath and tried again, slowly. She managed to see the tell-tale green glow of kryptonite all around her. At least the sickly color explained her pain.

"Well, well, the mighty _Supergirl,_ brought to her knees in a cage by a Luthor. What a surprise." Kara lifted her head against the pain to see a woman, presumably the one who had spoken.

 _Luthor ... Lena. What happened to Lena? I never made it to her office, and her entire family has a grudge against her. Is she okay?_ Wondered Kara.

"Who-who are you?" She managed to choke out.

Then the woman stepped into the evil green light, and Kara gasped.

"My name is Lillian Luthor, mother to Lex and adoptive mother to Lena Luthor. Your cousin hurt my _son,_ and you, my dear Kara Danvers, have tricked my daughter into thinking Kryptonians are friends."

Kara gasped at the realization that, _of course,_ Lillian knew her name, her human one. How else would she have been attacked in her own apartment? She began to subtly search for ways out of her predicament while keeping one eye on Lillian as she continued her tirade against Kara.

"Now I suppose you must be wondering 'Why me? Why not my cousin?'" Lillian said hatefully. "Quite simply, Lex never betrayed his family for Superman. To be honest, I'm now not sure if I should be more disappointed in you or Lena."

"H-h-how long have I been gone? I was supposed to go to-" Kara began, but Lillian cut her off. "Supposed to go to L-Corp to meet my daughter? It's been 46 hours."

Kara's mind reeled at this information. Lena must have been incredibly distressed and confused. She flinched as Lillian got closer and closer.

"And do you know why I waited those precious hours for you to wake up? I want yo be able to savor your pain." Lillian whispered in Kara's ear. She stepped aside and flicked a switch, and Kara winced as bright light flooded the large, mostly empty. 'Mostly empty' because to Kara's right, the side Lillian entered from, was a large table she hadn't seen before. Kara felt her heart rate go up as she saw rows upon rows of unspeakable weapons, all with the same menacing glow of green.

Lena was getting desperate at this point. Kara had been gone for 46 hours. She had tried calling Alex but had only gotten voice mail. Her stomach had dropped as she realized that voice mail meant that the DEO wouldn't help her or answer her because they probably suspected her. After all, she was a Luthor.

 _Come on, Lena. Think! She obviously was forcibly kidnapped. Who would do that, and why?_ Then Lena's blood ran cold as she realized that there was only one person capable of producing kryptonite. Her brain settled into cold fury beyond almost any she'd ever known before.

"Jess? Yes, it's me. Will you call the car for me, please? I need to go to L-Corp. Yes, I know that it is -" she looked at her red digital clock "-three in the morning. I need to help a friend. Thank you." Lena hung up her phone and resolved to do whatever she had to do to help her friend, even at her own peril.

She rushed to get dressed, deciding on a pair of black leggins and a black athletic tank top. That would be the best outfit for what she needed to do. She heard a soft chime as her driver rang her doorbell. She grabbed her duffel bag filled with information on her family and ran out the door. She hopped in the backseat before her driver was even able to open her door for her.

"L-Corp, correct, ma'am?" asked Lucas, the driver.

"Yes, please, Lucas," Lena felt sick to her stomach.

After what felt like an eternity, the car pulled up at the curb by her building. Lena jumped out and ran upstairs, again before Lucas even had a chance to assist her. She ran up the stairs and barged into her office, only stopping to accept the cup of coffee Jess had offered her. She pulled a case from underneath her desk and opened it to reveal the nanite suit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

Hello, all. I hope you are having an awesome day and that this helped you to smile! Winter Break is coming to an end, which means I probably will be unable to update at the speed at which I wish I could. Sorry! Please enjoy the latest installment of Trade-Off.

Chapter 3

Kara was in so much pain and barely had the strength to lift her head. The room appeared to be spinning around her, and she felt sick to her stomach. Lillian had been causing her unimaginable pain, both psychological and physical, for so long she had lost track of time. It could have been the sixtieth hour Kara had been missing, or it could have been the third week.

Lillian hadn't given her any food or water, but Kara was grateful; she didn't think she woyld be able to stomach anything. Currently, Lillian was cleaning off her blades and giving Kara a moment to avoid killing her, so that she could experience as much excrutiating pain as possible.

Most of the methods of torture involved Lillian somehow stabbing or cutting Kara with a kryptonite blade, yet the measures Lillian went to to make it hurt were vile.

The worst way Lillian hurt her was with her words. She would get inside Kara's head and tell her that the reason no one had come to help her was because Lena had discovered her secret identity and hated Kara for it. Since Kara had no way to tell how much time had passed, she had no reason to disbelieve Lillian's claim.

"Well. All clean. I must go for now to supervise the cleansing of National City, but I will be back, and you will die. The best part of this whole endeavour will be how you will _beg_ for death, Supergirl," promised Lillian, and her voice sent shivers down Kara's abused body.

Kara's vision became blurry and eventually darkened as Lillian strolled out of the warehouse that Kara had begun to associate with suffering and misery. Where was Lena? Where was _anyone?_

Lena jerked back as she accidently shocked herself with her own technology. She had been working around the clock for seventeen hours in an attempt to adapt her nanosuit to help her rescue Kara. Or Supergirl. Lena chuckled bitterly as she thought about how a few hours ago, her primary concern was getting Kara to trust her. Now, Kara's life was at stake.

Lena was almost done, she just needed to conduct a quick test that the nanited would respond to her thought. After all, if the armour didn't work perfectly, Kara might not get rescued, and Lena's only focus was saving the friend who had saved her. She took a deep drink of the black coffee Jess had given her that was long cold, then closed her eyes and focused. She felt the nanites surround her as she directed their path with her mind. She opened her eyes to see herself clad in a sleek, charcoal outfit that appeared to be made of scales of some sort. . _I'm coming to get you, Kara,_ she thought. _And my family had better be prepared to be defeated, once and for all._ She took off, delighted despite the circumstances that her suit allowed for flight with conscious thought. She had consulted the papers in her duffel bag multiple times and had determined that Lillian was likely hiding in an abandoned warehouse.

Lena soared across the city, her eyes scanning the dark alleyways and building for her target. It was so amazing to fly that she almost missed it.

She landed in a pitch-black alley next to a large warehouse covered in brick. She felt her way around until she found a metal doorknob.

"Got you, you complete and utter -" her muttered curse was cut short with her own cry of pain as an electric shock traveled up her body, and she felt the nanites drop off, leaving her cold in the fall night. She groaned and rolled from her stomach onto her back. The last thing she saw before she passed out was her mother standing above her, tauntingly holding an electronic disable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**

: Hello! I hope you had a nice dand and that it continues to get better! I hope the transition from winter break to regular work or school isn't too bad for everyone. This chapter is kind of short because my dog is scared of some fireworks, and I have to confort her, but I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 4

Lena Kieran Luthor had one painful headache, one that rivaled even the headaches she got from being a young, female CEO of a powerful company. She winced and forced her eyes to shut even tighter as the pain faded to a dull persistent throb. What had happened?

She opened her eyes with a start remembering what had happened. Lillian, her mother, had destroyed her suit, and then had.. what? Even though Lena was facing terrible danger, she couldn't help feel a twinge of annoyance at her tech's failure.

She looked around and saw that her surroundings were dark.Her hands were both cuffed behind her to a tall, sleek metal pole that rose from floor to ceiling. _Wait, where's Kara? Isn't this were Kara should be?_ "Kara!" she yelled into the void.

"Lena? You ... what are you doing here, Len- Ms. Luthor?" croaked Kara.

Lema whipped her head around ao that it was mildly uncomfortable to see to her right. What she saw utterly broke her heart beyond anything words could describe.

"Oh, Kara," Lena whispered. Kara's head dropped as she realized Lena absolutely knew she was Supergirl. She was in her her bold blue suit after all, but somehow Lena had seen through it. Well, it used to be bold blue. Now it was stained crimson with the blood of a hero.

Lena could do nothing but hold back sobs at the excrutiating pain Kara, _her best friend_ , must have been feeling.

Kara's entire face was caked with blood; some was fresh and still slowly trickled, but other blood was dark brown and flaked off of Kara's face whenever she moved, particularly when Kara' distinctive crinkle formed.

She appeared to be having trouble breathing; every breath she took rasped and seemed to hurt. Her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle, and she was refusing to put weight on her right leg, which she was keeping ramrod straight.

Kara's Supergirl outfit was ripped beyond repair and the crest of El was defaced.

"Lena, you can't be here. It's not safe. Lillian could be back any moment. You could get hurt!" Kara cried out in pain as she tried to voice her indignance and concern for Lena.

Lena struggled to choke back a bitter sob and settled for a pained chuckle. "Kara, the only part of your face is visible is your eyes because you are covered in blood, your shoulder appears to be dislocated, and your leg looks broken. You are _covered_ in cuts, some of which look deep and potentially infected, and you - you're worried about _me?_ " Lena questioned incredulously.

Kara flinched as if saying her injuries aloud made them real and more painful. She took a deep, shuddering breath as thought she were trying to speak.

The door at the far end of the warehouse banged open and in walked an intimidating figure. A figure that had hurt Lena and Kara beyond imagination in less than a week. Lena had to do all she could not to scream in rage and pain, so she instead snarled. " _Mother."_ Lillian Luthor stepped into the green glow of kryptonite and smiled eerily.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Hello. I hope you had a day as awesome as you are. Thanks for all the kind reviews. As lon as everything goes according to plan, this should be about the half way point of this story. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 5

Lillian silently strode into the room. The malicious smile still hadn't left her face as she neared Kara and Lena.

"My dear daughter. Really, I'm not surprised you knew you so-called _friend's_ secret identity. I had been wondering if you were gullible, stupid, or both. Now I know you're just a fool." Lillian's sarcastic words would normally hurt Lena, but her rage gave her courage.

"Mother. _Let Kara go._ " Lena's voice had a thinly veiled steel that neither of those listening had heard before.

Lillian tsked with disappointment. "And here I thought you could prove me wrong. Lena, dear, the Kryptonians are enemies. They've polluted our planet, poisoning human brains into compliance. Your brother is the only one brave enough to stand up to them, and look at where he is now. Rotting in maximum security prison."

Lena took the oppourtunity her mother's long tirade gave her to check in on Kara. She was fading fast.

Lillian started to circle around the column Lena was stuck to; her goal was clearly the perhaps- fatally wounded Supergirl - no, Kara. In this battered state, all Lena could see was her best and only friend, not National City's hero.

Lillian took a swift step towards Kara, chained with kryptonite, and clutched her head at an angle that made Lena worry for her friend's comfort. "Now, Lena, you are going to watch me kill this alien invader, and then we will go save you brother and reunite the Luthors." said Lillian while maintaining sharp eye contact with her daughter. She reached behind her for a worringly sharo kryptonite knife and held it to Kara's throat, and Lena felt time slow.

"Any last words, you repulsive creature?" Lillian asked Kara in contempt. Kara could barely keep her eyes open. Lena delt her world begin to die as her mother started to apply pressure, then she felt clarity. She, a Luthor, probably didn't desever to live anyway.

Lena Luthor made a bold, and possible the worst on her lifetime, decision.

"You may not have heard me, Mother, but I said to let her go. Hurt me, torture me, kill me, but leave Kara alone. You said it yourself; I shouldn't associate with Kryptonians. Please, as a gift from a mother to a daughter. I will trade myself for Kara." Lena felt a rush if fear, panic, and hope as she attempted to bargain her life for Kara to survive. Lillian tilted her head, considering.

"Well, well, well. Interesting." Lillian hissed as she dropped Kara's head and stepped closer to Lena. Lena felt a slight twinge of relief at Kara's current safety.

"I've wanted to kill a Super for years, now, but that is an offer I can hardly refuse. Punishing my daughter for her crimes against humanity, hurting Supergirl in the process? Intriguing. Very well." Lillian decided swiftly. Lena closed her eyes, glad to have Kara safe from this whole ordeal.

"Le-Lena ... n-no, not for me..." Kara's exhausted voice trailed off as she tried to protect Lena, even close to death.

"Kara, no. This is not up for debate. This way, I can be free from my family's crimes. You deserve better friends than me, anyways." Lena shut down the injured alien. Kara's characteristic crinkle got deeper as Lena continued to speak as Lillian listened, fascinated with how "invaders," as she put it, could form such a deep bond with humans.

"Always remember this, though, Kara: I love you. Thank you for everything." Lena smiled softly when she had said everything she needed to say.

Kara nodded, although her face remained stricken.

"I'll call the godforsaken organization, the DEO, to pick up their pet alien, and then you and I will have a nice long _familial chat._ " threatened Lillian. She whistled. Three big men in black jumpsuitd emerged from the darkness, picked the now unconsious Kara up, and took her back to the door. One of them opened the door, and Lena caught a hint of sunlight. The remaining two unceremoniously three Kara's broken body into the alleyway beside the warehouse, then all three scuttled back to the shadows they belonged to.

Lillian turned to Lena with a sickening, unreadable expression on her face.

Alex heard an unusual beeping coming from the main console of the DEO's headquarters. A video of Lillian Luthor appeared, surrounded by only darkness.

"Find your _friend,"_ she said distastefully, "at the warehouses just outside the city limits." The whole screen flicked off.

Alex put a hand to her forehead, rubbing it. She hoped more than anything thay

t this had something to do with her sister's disappearance.

J'onn came into the room. "Agent Danvers. Take a squad and head to the location Ms. Luthor, Senior, has given us. Make sure you are adequately armed," he barked. Alex was surprised at how quickly the decisuon was made, but she obeyed it nonetheless.

 _I feel that this has something and everything to do with your sister. Be careful, and bring her back safely._ J'onn projected into Alex's mind. Alex made eye contact and nodded swiftly, then moved to collect her troops.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Hello, and welcome to the latest chapter of Trade-Off. This is now my third attempt to upload this chapter due to Wi-fi issues. Just to be clear, I am in no way involved with CW or the ownership of Supergirl, although that would be nice. Either way, I hope you had a great day, and this makes it better! Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Kara Zor-El was barely alive to think, but she knew one thing: she was in agony. Every part of her body hurt. Her thoughts were only slightly coherent to her herself, and she couldn't imagine trying to speak to someone.

She tried to open her eyes to see if someone could help her, or if the sun was going to regenerate her cells, but a painfully bright light made her give up.

Then all of her memories snapped into place, and she remembered exactly what had gone down in the warehouse. Her blue eyes forced themselves open against the pain.

 _Lena. How could I have let her do that to herself for me?_ Kara wondered. Her concern and feeling of failure only added on to her hurt. _I've got to help her._

She made up her mind to try to slowly prop herself up on one elbow. She deliberately moved, carefully, then leaned to one side.

 _Ouch!_ she thought as a lance of pain shot through her. _Of course I manage to pick my more injured shoulder to support my weight,_ she though while flinching.

The last thing she remembered thinking before her agony pulled her over the edge of unconsciousness was how she and Lena were going to get out of this mess.

Alex Danvers bounced her leg nervously up and down in the crammed truck. Her second best agent, Nick, was driving the vehicle, and the passenger seat was empty to keep the appearance of a solitary truck driver doing his job.

Her and the other agents, hand-picked by her, were sitting on benches lining the sides of the back of the truck, and all of their gear was beneath the benched. The combined number of people in such a small space made the whole experience stifling, but Alex was still doing her best to conceal her true worry from her squad.

They had been driving for a decent while to the location Lillian Luthor had given. The only reason they had decide to use the truck to get to the location is that stealth didn't really work when your enemy invites you.

"Approaching the site, ma'am," calked Nick from the enviably empty front.

Alex nodded curtly, then began to remind her team of the most important orders. "Alright, Delta Squad. Once we get there, I'm the first one out. Primary goal is to capture or render ineffective Lillian Luthor. However, if we so happen to find Supergirl, her safety is primary concern; she's too valuable of an asset to lose. Watch each others' backs. Got it?"

Her team nodded as the truck slowed to a stop. Alex took a breath, steeled herself, then kicked out the back doors of the truck. She yelled in rage as she felt her boots hit the alley, and she heard the rest of Delta Squad scream their own war cries as they followed her out.

The team all brought up their weapons and spun around, fanning out, to see in every direction in a fluid, practiced motion.

"Anything?" questioned Alex, and she received no positive response. "Guess we're going in, Delta Squad. Get to the doors of the warehouse. Nick, Rowan, behind me. Everyone else, stay by the do-" the rest of her order was cut off as her attention was grabbed by a fluttering motion in the corner of her eye.

It was such a small flash of color that she couldn't really blame her team for not catching it. Her hopes rose as she realized whatever had moved was the same color red as Supergirl's suit.

"Delta Squad, with me," she hissed, then sprinted off to what she wanted to be her sister's cape. When she got the the end of the bright alley, her heart plunged, and she fought the urge to scream.

Her sister was there indeed, but she was in terrible condition. Her face and suit were covered almost completely in blood, her limbs were at awkward angles, and there were _so many_ cuts, all filled with shards of kryptonite, covering her body.

"Supergirl. SUPERGIRL. KARA. KARA! KARA, ANSWER ME!" Alex screamed as she caught the terrible sight of her sister. She got no response.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she checked for a pulse. It was there, thank goodness, but it was incredibly faint. She was dully aware of some of her agents throwing up at the sight of the ravaged alien next to her.

"Get ... get a stretcher from the truck," Alex whispered, and she heard a few of her squad running off to comply. She gripped her sister's hand tightly, completely forgetting about the warehouse.

When the agents got back with the stretcher, she helped to gently move Kara onto it. "Delta Squad, move! Back to the DEO immediately!" she ordered, and all of the team obeyed.

She and three other agents carried the injured hero to the truck, carefully placing her on the floor. Nick threw himself in the driver's seat and started the truck before all of the agents were even inside.

They all managed to get inside and close the doors before Nick peeled away, somberly making enough space for Alex to try to do anything to help Supergirl.

Later, Alex would recall hearing faint screaming from the warehouse, but she was currently focused on her sister, so she brushed the notion off and thought nothing of it.

As soon as Kara was thrown outside the dark, miserable building, Lillian's piercing blue eyes met Lena's panicked green ones.

"Time for some quality mother-daughter time, don't you think, dear?" said Lillian with a dangerous glint in her eye. Lena stared back, her chest heaving from anxiety, and said nothing, letting her glare answer for her.

"Tell you what, since I never finished hurting your friend before you volunteered to be the whipping girl, I suppose you'll have to do," intoned Lillian. "For every fifteen minutes you don't renounce your friendship, you get a cut. Every hour, you get a broken bone. Better do it quick, Lena," grinned Lillian.

Lena's eyes widened at the prospect of what she was about to be put through, but she quickly hardened, as she would rather be hurt than have Kara be hurt.

"Do with me what you will, Mother," she shot back, feeling cold fury overtake her.

When Kar awoke for the second time that day, she was well enough to realize she was in a bed. Her vision was still blurred, and everywhere still hurt.

She blinked a few times to hopefully see a little better, and the first thing she saw was the very relieved face of Alex.

"Kara! You're back! It's been ten hours since we picked you up!" exclaimed Alex.

Kara smiled, then winced as even that hurt. "Why ... why does it still hurt everywhere? Shouldn't the sun lamps have worked by now?" she asked.

"As far as we can tell, the kryptonite Lillian cut you with was made of a material that limits your ability to heal to a human's. You're very lucky we got you when we did. You have three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, which I will put back in when your body can take it, and you leg is broken. You also have dozens of cuts, but none of them are too deep or infected. Oh, and your suit was damaged severely," listed Alex as she turned away from Kara to adjust one of the numerous machines surrounding her.

"Well, s'pose it could be worse," murmered Kara, almost on the verge of more sleep. "Is Lena okay?" she asked.

"Kara, what are you talking about? You were the only one we found at the compound. What does Lena Luthor have to do with anything?" laughed Alex nervously.

Kara's eyes widened in fear for her friend. "Alex, Lena tried to save me, but Lillian incapacited her. The only reason that I'm alive and you found me outside is because she traded places with me. Lillian could have killed her by now!" cried Kara.

Alex' eyes widened in horrer as she realized she had made a terrible mistake.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Hello! I hope you are having a great day and that this update makes it even better! I still don't own anything related to Supergirl. Welcome to the seventh chapter of Trade-Off. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Lena Luthor wouldn't know how long it had been since Kara was tossed outside the warehouse doors if it weren't for the pain. She had eleven broken bones: two broken fingers, a broken radius, four broken toes, a broken metacarpal, a broken metatarsal, and two broken ribs. She had fourty-four lacerations. In other words, she'd been stuck with her mother for almost twelve hours.

Lillian had decided to take a break from the torture and had given Lena an hour to rest and sleep on her decision, which is why the numbers of injuries almost didn't add up. Unfortunately, the hour was almost over. Lena had fifteen minutes left.

"Lena Luthor. I never thought you deserved the Luthor name and that you were a coward for not standing up to aliens, but now I know different. A coward wouldn't have lasted as long as you have; you just still don't deserve your last name," goaded Lillian as she abandoned her chair to start circling the pole Lena was chained to.

 _Great. I thought it couldn't get worse. I'm a literal genius; I should have known hearing her voice would be part of the torture,_ Lena sarcastically thought. _I hope Kara is okay._

"Well, mother, I only keep the name because my father had the guts to adopt me after my biological mother's death. If you in any way think I want to be associated with you, I would reconsider," Lena retorted as her mother put a hand to her heart in mock sadness and hurt.

"Is that any way to speak to the woman who took you in?" she asked, stepping closer.

"Honestly, I might rather have died than be stuck with you," replied Lena.

Lillian laughed, then leaned forward, glaring into Lena's pained emerald eyes. "That can, of course, be arranged. The only reason you're not dead yet is because there may be hope for you yet," she threatened. "Better not make me change my mind."

Lena rolled her eyes. "Mother, Kara is my friend. I'm not going to betray her for you," she promised, perhaps foolishly given Lillian's statement.

"Lena, dear, you do have Luthor blood in you. We don't trust easily, and we don't forgive. Lex, your dear brother, trusted Superman. He believed in him, just as you believe in Supergirl. Then, he realized Clark Kent, his best friend, was in fact Superman, and he had been lied to on two fronts. The Supers don't trust humans; they harm them in their fights against other invaders. Why should you trust them?" Lillian asked. "What makes you believe in Supergirl, and why do you continue to do so?" Lillian's timer beeped, signaling that the hour of rest was over.

"Oh, Lena, better decide if false trust is worth the pain," Lillian said, grinning eerily.

Alex and J'onn were beyond frustrated. Alex with herself, and J'onn with himself.

Alex was beating herself up because she _should have known._ All of her training, all of her expertise, and she neglected to check the warehouse.

J'onn was angry because he should have told Alex to check the warehouse regardless of any terrible injuries, and now a civilian was in grave danger, if not already dead.

Soon after Kara had made them realize their error, she had slipped back into unrestful unconsciousness.

Now the DEO was up against a Supervillain without a Superhero. After two hours of planning, they were set to move.

They argued over how to approach the warehouse. Eventually, they decided to use helicopter and go in with twenty heavily armed agents. Both Alex and J'onn would go on this mission, and Vasquez would stay behind for Supergirl. If it went according to plan, the agents would drop in, grab Lena, and fly out, hopefully without any conflict. Their goal was speed, not strength; they couldn't afford a full-on fight without Kara.

Now Alex and J'onn were sitting silently in one of the five black helicopters, being annoyed at their respective selves for their respective reasons. They had five minutes before they dropped out of the sky.

The minutes passed agonizingly slow, even as they were thinking hard. Finally, they were clear to stand at the door and slide it open.

"Sir, Ma'am, good luck," said the pilot. Each helicopter had two pilots and two jumpers.

"Thank you, agent," J'onn responded. He and Alex nodded at each other, double checked their jump lines, and hurled themselves into space. All around, they saw fellow agents falling to the same goal. All of them were equipped with special, circular blades that would cut through the roof in less than a second, enough time for their lines to slow their free fall so they could storm the room.

Alex hadn't known what she was expecting as soon as she burst through the warehouse, but she certainly didn't think about what she saw.

As her boots touched the ground for the second time in less than a day, she saw nothing but darkness.

Then, she saw Lillian Luthor bent over on the ground over a still figure, crying silently.

"Lillian! Hands up and surrender to us Lena Luthor!" ordered J'onn as the ten agents all trained their weapons at her.

Lillian slowly turned.

"I killed her. I killed my daughter! SHE'S GONE! HELP HER!" screamed Lillian.

Alex' breath caught in her throat as Lillian's movement allowed her to see Lena. If she thought Kara had looked bad, that was nothing compared to Lena.

Her skin, usally pale, was stained crimson with her own blood. Her lips were blue, and her body looked utterly broken.

The agents rushed forward, rendering Lillian unconscious.

Aled and J'onn ran forward to check on Lena. Was Lillian lying, or did Lena truly give her life for Kara?


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Hello! I hope you had a wonderful day and that this story makes it even better. I' sorry this is so short; I'm tryung to figure out hoe best to proceed. Is there anything you guys want to read? Please enjoy the latest chapter of Trade-Off.

Chapter 8

Alex and J'onn were more than halfway across when Alex threw caution to the wind and slid the last bit on her knees so she was already by Lena's side.

Her own distrust of the Luthor dissipated immediately as she truly saw the state she was in. With trembling hands, she brushed Lena's hair away from her neck and felt for a pulse.

She felt one. It was alarmingly weak, and Alex didn't know if it would last long, but it was there. She sighed shakily with relief. It would be a foolish move to try to move Lena now, she knew, but there was no other option.

She numbly heard J'onn call the agents to go back to their helicoptors, then kneel by her amd place a hand on her shoulder.

"Give my harness to Lena, and hold on to her when the pilot takes you up. Radio him and tell him to do it slowly. I'm flying back to the DEO to prepare the med bay," J'onn directed, and Alex nodded mutely.

Alex watched as J'onn phased out of his harness then fly quickly away, and she was left in the warehouse with the possibly-soon-dead Lena Luthor. It was with clumsy fingers that she hooked the harness around Lena, trying as hard as humanely possible not to further injure her.

As soon as all of the clips were in place, she lifted up Lena and held onto her as though they were hugging. She radioed the pilot. "Take us up, but as slowly as the winches can take it, okay?" she said.

"Copy that," mobotonely replied the pilot. Alex held on as tight as she dared as she felt the junlmp lines begin to pull, and before she knew it, they were in the chopper. She pushed Lena's body ahead of her onto the floor, then pulled herself up and shut the door.

Alex turned back to the woman, breathing a prayer of relief as she saw the endeavor had no visible effect on her. She undid the clips and pulled the harness off.

Her adrenaline made her laugh as she remembered that Lena was very much afraid of heights, and they had knowingly put her in a helicopter.

The trip seemed to forever and never, but before Alex knew it, they were at the DEO. The helicopter landed, and a team of doctors met it with a stretcher.

Alex opened the side door ad stuck her head out.

"Here!" she yelled to the medics, and they rushed inside, gently grabbed Lena, then placed her on the stretcher. In the blink of an eye, they were back inside as if Alex had imagined the whole thing.

She stepped onto the roof and saw her hands were covered in blood that didn't belong to her. She felt shaky, but she had to help Kara. At least, that was what she told her self as she dragged her tired body through the halls to the med bay. She saw a swarm of people inside, running around Lena.

 _Just five minutes, Danvers,_ she thought. _Five minutes to clean off the blood and prepare to get covered in more._

When Kara finally woke up, her first thought was how humans survived without speed-healing. Alex had told Kara that Lillian had used a different kind of kryptonite, one that would force her damaged body to heal at a normal pace.

Kara had shrugged it off, but it turns out the 'human pace' is replacable with 'OW why does this still hurt."

Her eyes were still closed, but she slowly opened them without moving the rest of her body. She remembered she was in the med bay.

"Owwww..." she groaned softly, closing her eyes once more. Everything was still in pain.

She heard a soft rustling and felt a hand, presumably her sister's, grab her own, gently, to avoid the cuts. Kara forced her eyes open again to see Alex's relieved face.

"Kara, oh my gosh, you made me worried sick," cried Alex. Kara smiled mirthlessly, uncharacteristic for her.

"Welp, here I am," she said. A sudden thought occured to her, and her eyes widened as she attempted to sit up. "Where's Lena! What happened?" Kara demanded.

Her fevered actions made machines all around her start beeping furiously. Alex stood quickly over her.

"Hey, hey, relax. Lena is right here. We got her out," Alex answered.

Kara's brow furrowed like it always did when she was stressed. "Is - is she okay? How bad is it?" she asked. She was shocked to see the tears in Alex's eyes. Her sister never cried, even when Kara was on the verge of death.

"It's bad, Kara. It's real bad," was all that Alex managed to choke out. Kara felt her heart slow at the thought of what could have happened to Lena for Alex to respond this way.

She very slowly turned her head to the right; Alex made no attempt to stop her this time. Kara's eyes widened , and she felt her heart drop and her breath catch at the sight of Lena Luthor's terrible condition.

The last thing she remembered before she was out again was Alex muttering "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Kara.." above her bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

Hi! I hope you are having an amazing day and that this makes it even better. This is the probably last chapter of Trade-Off. Thank you for being supportive; this was my first story, and I wasn't sure how quite to aporoach it, but your reviews were all helpful and nice. Please enjoy this chapter of Trade-Off!

Chapter 9

Alex sat quietly by her sister's bedside, in between Lena and Kara. Her primary focus was Kara, but Lena deserved to have someone there for her if and when she woke up.

It had been about a day since Kara had woken up last and seen her friend's condition. She was sleeping off all of the pain, but Alex knew that even several hours under the sun lamps wouldn't heal her because of Lillian's kryptonite.

She also knew that both Lena and Kara would require a lot of help mentally getting over their abuse. Thankfully, they were both too out of it to be having nightmares, but both Alex and another doctor thought the next time Kara woke up, she would be able to stay awake. The jury was still out on Lena.

Alex closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers over Kara's hand, which she had not let go of since she had last slept a few hours ago. J'onn had forced her to leave and take a break.

All of a sudden, she felt Kara's hand squeezing hers. It definitely did not feel like she had her powers back yet.

"Hey," Kara croaked. Alex smiled and felt a tear fall as she turned to Kara. Her sister was obviously fighting to keep her eyes open, but it looked like it was getting easier with every passing second.

"Hey, Kara," Alex responded. Now it was Kara's turn to smile.

"I feel a lot better. Not yet Supergirl, but as Kara Danvers. How's Lena?" Kara asked as a shadow of concern swept across her face.

Alex was hesitant, but Kara was already sitting up against medical protocol, and Alex couldn't hide the truth from her sister.

Kara sighed softly as she saw the pale Luthor, her head rested against DEO pillows.

"She's in better shape than she was when you last woke up a day ago," Alex offered. "We honestly don't know when she'll wake up. She had multiple broken bones, and her cuts are deeper and more deliberate than yours. She'll probably live, though."

"Probably?" Kara breathed as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. Alex tried to stop her from standing, but it was a doomed attempt.

"Kara, Kara, wait. If you _absolutely have_ to stande, you have to use crutches. Broken leg, remember?" Alex reminded her sister. She walked quickly to a wall in the med bay and pulled a set of crutches from it. She walked over to Kara and helped her support her weight with them.

Kara sighed as she realized she was confined to crutches until they could figure out a way to activate her healing powers, if that was even possible. Squaring her shoulders and refusing to listen to the negative thoughts, she hobbled over to Lena.

Her dark hair was spread around her head like a halo. Kara looked across her to look at her medical chart; she bit her lip on concern when she saw all of Lena's injuries in detail. Lena had endured a lot of pain for her.

Alex put her hand on Kara's shoulder as they both regarded the Luthor.

Kara didn't know how Lillian could have done this to her own daughter, but it was terrible to see, so Kara was glad she didn't understand.

As Kara stood there, contemplating, Lena woke up.

 _Where am I? What is this? Why can't I open my eyes? Is Kara finally safe?_ Lena thought. She tried to open her eyes and sit up from whateber bed she was in, but everything hurt too much.

She heard two very familiar voices above her.

 _"Kara, her heart rate is picking up. She's waking up,"_ Lena recognized this as Alex.

 _"Lena?"_ That was definitely Kara, Lena knew. She had to open her eyes. She debated falling back asleep briefly, but she knew it wasn't fair to abandon Kara so soon.

She opened her bright green eyes, relieved that it didn't hurt as much as she would have thought. She saw Kara leaning over her with a look of intense concern and relief. Alex patted her sister on the shoulder and walked out, knowing the two friends needed privacy to talk.

"Lena..." Kara began. "I'm sorry."

Lena shook her head, then realized that was a terrible idea as her head spun and ached. "Don't be," she said simply. "This was my mother's fault."

Kara looked away and sniffled. "Yeah, but-"

Lena cut her off. "Kara, I may barely be able to talk with you right now, but I swear, don't you dare finish that sentence."

Kara nodded, but she still looked stricken. "Are you in too mich pain for a hug?"

Lena laughed against the pain. "Never from you."

Kara smiled, abandoning her crutches to lean in and hug the Luthor.

The two friends were comforted by the hug. They knew that despite everything that had happened, they would be okay. Together.

 **The end**


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